7mm wsm advice

I have just found this great site and have spent several hours reading through posts and looking at your great photos.

I live in Queensland Australia and have just purchased a new Browning A bolt in 7mm wsm and have fitted a Leupold VX-3 4.5-14X40 with BC reticle scope in Leupold bases.

I hunt deer and have Axis , Rusa , Red deer and fallow deer within hours of home , at this stage I will shoot factory amunition , I would appreciate your advice on a brand and bullet type that would go well in this unit.

My good friend has the same rifle and set up in the 300 wsm and it shoots some brilliant groups with winchester supreme amunition.

I have some outstanding country to hunt in here and some great open range to 500-600 yards for Axis , what are your thoughts on the 7mm wsm on deer at that range.

I look forward to hearing back from some of you well experienced long range hunters.

I haven't used factory ammo in quite a while -longrange hunting and handloading go hand in hand.

On factory ammo selection you'd be best served by buying a few different types and seeing which one 'your' gun has a taste for.
Any premium bullet will get the job done -be it a nosler ballistic tip or accubond -hornady interbonds -sierra gamekings etc -etc..
The main thing is to know your limits by practicing and from that practice 'know' how far you can place a pinpoint shot on a game animal.

Back to bullet talk -you can use the ballistic type [plastic tip] bullets just fine on game but at closer ranges do not aim for the shoulder or heavy bone.Shoot the animal behind the shoulder -i have had good luck w/ lower neck shots although some may disagree.
At longrange when the ballistic tip has slowed down it is ok to put the crosshair on the shoulder juction then.

Well hope this helps and i hope you can get started handloading b/c it is almost a must for longrange hunting.
Best of luck -Mike

The 7mmWSM works exceptionally well at range particularly 300M plus. I shoot Thar with it and have nailed a number of large bulls this year only need 1 shot falttens them. Relaod with 66grains ADI 2213 and 140 grain Sierra lead tip bullets.

Deer are light skinned and easy to knock over would suggext trying 120 grain projectiles as deer softer targets and 7mmWSM has plenty of gas.

I shoot everything with 7mmWSM BAR including goats, hares, red deer, fallow deer, chamois and thar. About to try it on horses when go up North in fortnight having spent two seasons shooting for the NZ Forest service culling back in 1979/80 using .222, .223 and .243 never thought the day would come when I would swear by a magnum - won't use other guns now which include a H&amp;K 630 in .223 and a Sauer 80 in .270 they can't match the killing power - have fun at 500M+ they drop like a rock every time.